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/ Women's Basketball
JuJu Watkins Is WBCA’s National Freshman of the Year
April 03, 2024 | Women's Basketball
She was the nation’s second leading scorer in USC’s run to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Fresh off setting the national scoring record for a freshman, USC's JuJu Watkins has been named the WBCA Freshman of the Year. The guard was instrumental in USC's first run to the NCAA Elite Eight since 1994, and she has deservedly collected yet another prestigious award for her outstanding efforts with the Women of Troy. She is the first USC player to be named National Freshman of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, and is still in line for several more honors as the 2023-24 season comes to a close. On April 4, the WBCA announced its 2024 All-America honorees, with Watkins on the 10-player Coaches' All-America Team. She is the first Trojan to be named to the prestigious WBCA All-America Team since Lisa Leslie in 1994.
Watkins wrapped the Trojan's 2023-24 season as the nation's highest-scoring freshman in history with 920 points scored in her freshman campaign. Her point total also ranks her No. 4 all-time among all Pac-12 players. She already holds another USC record (male or female) with 14 games with 30 or more points scored — a mark that beats out Iowa's Caitlin Clark previous national record of 12 for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. The No. 2 scorer in the nation with her 27.1 points per game, Watkins set yet another USC record with a 51-point outing in a USC road upset of Stanford, and that mark still stands as the most points scored by any player in the nation this season. Additionally, Watkins' 42 points vs. Colorado on Feb. 23 is the most points ever scored by a USC basketball player (male or female) at Galen Center. And with 241 free throws made this season, Watkins stands tall in setting yet another USC single-season record.
But Watkins provides more than just scoring for these No. 3-ranked Trojans. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she stood as the only player in the country averaging multiple steals per game as well as 1.5 blocks per game, and also as the only player in the nation to rank inside the top-75 for both steals and blocks per game.
On the season, Watkins averaged a team-high 2.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game and was the team's second leading rebounder with 7.3 per game and second in shot blocks with 1.7 per game. In fact, she is one of just five Pac-12 players ever to tally at least 750 points, 150 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. She also finished out her first season as a Trojan with nine double-doubles, and was named to the NCAA Portland Region 3 All-Tournament Team.
Watkins was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team for her work helping the Trojans win the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament Championship. That run including wins over two more top-10 opponents — No. 7 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford — to give USC its most wins over top-10 opponents since 1985-86. Also this season, the Trojans have captured the most wins (27) in a season since 1985-86, and No. 3 USC has its highest AP national ranking since 1986. The Trojans earned the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1986, and USC made back-to-back NCAA appearances for the first time since 2006.
Watkins has also been selected as the National Freshman of the Year by the USWBA and The Athletic, and she is in the running for several more national honors as the postseason progresses. Watkins is one of just five freshmen ever to earn AP All-America First Team honors. Spanning several national organizations since 1982, Watkins stands as the sixth Trojan all-time to score first-team All-America accolades, joining Cheryl Miller (Kodak, Naismith), Lisa Leslie (USBWA), Pam McGee (Kodak), Paula McGee (WBCA) and Tina Thompson (USBWA).
About the WBCA
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
JUJU WATKINS — 2023-24 HONORS
• WBCA Freshman of the Year
• WBCA Coaches' All-American
• Wooden Award Finalist
• Wooden Award All-American
• NCAA Portland Region 3 All-Tournament Team
• Honda Award Finalist
• Wade Trophy Finalist
• Naismith Trophy Finalist
• Associated Press, USBWA, The Athletic & Sporting News All-America First Team
• Tamika Catchings Award — USBWA Freshman of the Year
• ESPN Player of the Year Runner-Up
• ESPN Freshman of the Year
• ESPN All-America Team
• The Athletic National Freshman of the Year
• The Athletic First Team All-America
• Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalist
• Dawn Staley Award Finalist
• Sullivan Award Semifinalist
• Dawn Staley Award Later Season Watch List
• Naismith Midseason Watch List
• Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 List
• Wade Watch List
• Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 Watch List
• Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 Watch List
• Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 Watch List
• Jersey Mike's Naismith Award Watch List
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
• All-Pac-12 Team
• Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention
• Pac-12 All-Freshman Team
• Pac-12 All-Tournament Team
• Preseason All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention
• Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas Player of the Game (11/6)
• Pac-12 Player of the Week (3x)
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (14)
• AP National Player of the Week (2)
• USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week (2/6)
• USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week (3)
JuJu Watkins. WBCA All-American. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/TUDzHfCeu7
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 4, 2024
Watkins wrapped the Trojan's 2023-24 season as the nation's highest-scoring freshman in history with 920 points scored in her freshman campaign. Her point total also ranks her No. 4 all-time among all Pac-12 players. She already holds another USC record (male or female) with 14 games with 30 or more points scored — a mark that beats out Iowa's Caitlin Clark previous national record of 12 for the most such games for a freshman over the last 25 seasons. The No. 2 scorer in the nation with her 27.1 points per game, Watkins set yet another USC record with a 51-point outing in a USC road upset of Stanford, and that mark still stands as the most points scored by any player in the nation this season. Additionally, Watkins' 42 points vs. Colorado on Feb. 23 is the most points ever scored by a USC basketball player (male or female) at Galen Center. And with 241 free throws made this season, Watkins stands tall in setting yet another USC single-season record.
But Watkins provides more than just scoring for these No. 3-ranked Trojans. Entering the NCAA Tournament, she stood as the only player in the country averaging multiple steals per game as well as 1.5 blocks per game, and also as the only player in the nation to rank inside the top-75 for both steals and blocks per game.
On the season, Watkins averaged a team-high 2.3 steals and 3.3 assists per game and was the team's second leading rebounder with 7.3 per game and second in shot blocks with 1.7 per game. In fact, she is one of just five Pac-12 players ever to tally at least 750 points, 150 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. She also finished out her first season as a Trojan with nine double-doubles, and was named to the NCAA Portland Region 3 All-Tournament Team.
Watkins was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team for her work helping the Trojans win the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament Championship. That run including wins over two more top-10 opponents — No. 7 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford — to give USC its most wins over top-10 opponents since 1985-86. Also this season, the Trojans have captured the most wins (27) in a season since 1985-86, and No. 3 USC has its highest AP national ranking since 1986. The Trojans earned the program's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1986, and USC made back-to-back NCAA appearances for the first time since 2006.
Watkins has also been selected as the National Freshman of the Year by the USWBA and The Athletic, and she is in the running for several more national honors as the postseason progresses. Watkins is one of just five freshmen ever to earn AP All-America First Team honors. Spanning several national organizations since 1982, Watkins stands as the sixth Trojan all-time to score first-team All-America accolades, joining Cheryl Miller (Kodak, Naismith), Lisa Leslie (USBWA), Pam McGee (Kodak), Paula McGee (WBCA) and Tina Thompson (USBWA).
About the WBCA
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
JUJU WATKINS — 2023-24 HONORS
• WBCA Freshman of the Year
• WBCA Coaches' All-American
• Wooden Award Finalist
• Wooden Award All-American
• NCAA Portland Region 3 All-Tournament Team
• Honda Award Finalist
• Wade Trophy Finalist
• Naismith Trophy Finalist
• Associated Press, USBWA, The Athletic & Sporting News All-America First Team
• Tamika Catchings Award — USBWA Freshman of the Year
• ESPN Player of the Year Runner-Up
• ESPN Freshman of the Year
• ESPN All-America Team
• The Athletic National Freshman of the Year
• The Athletic First Team All-America
• Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalist
• Dawn Staley Award Finalist
• Sullivan Award Semifinalist
• Dawn Staley Award Later Season Watch List
• Naismith Midseason Watch List
• Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 List
• Wade Watch List
• Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 Watch List
• Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 Watch List
• Wooden Award Preseason Top-50 Watch List
• Jersey Mike's Naismith Award Watch List
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
• All-Pac-12 Team
• Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention
• Pac-12 All-Freshman Team
• Pac-12 All-Tournament Team
• Preseason All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention
• Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas Player of the Game (11/6)
• Pac-12 Player of the Week (3x)
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (14)
• AP National Player of the Week (2)
• USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week (2/6)
• USBWA Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week (3)
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